1. Field
The present invention relates to the field of recumbent cycling exercise apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise apparatus that exercises the abdominal, back and leg muscles with the operator prone on his back whereby the feet follow an elongate curve with pull/push movement.
2. State of the Art
The benefits of regular exercise to improve overall health, appearance and longevity are well documented in the literature. One of the most difficult muscle groups to exercise is the abdominals. For exercise enthusiasts the search continues for safe apparatus that provides exercise to tone the abdominals without back strain.
Many devices have appeared recently to aid the user in the performance of situps from a prone face-up position with the intent of easing back strain. Situps, even with assistive devices, have low appeal and often the devices find their way to a permanent storage area.
Devices to aid the sit-up movement such as Evans in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,052, Steinmetz in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,750 and Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,577,987, as just a few, that provide for a recumbent operator to contract the abdominals while raising the upper body with the aid of such device. Another group of abdominal exercise aids such as Boland in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,138, Conner in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,118 and Hern in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,014 start in a seated posture and lean forward against the resistance of an apparatus.
Another abdominal exercise method developed by the Royal Canadian Air Force requires a person to start in a kneeling position on hands and knees, then push his body forward, sliding out along his hands until prone with arms extended. The exerciser then returns to the kneeling position by reversing the sliding action. This is a most difficult exercise and would not be embraced by the average exercise participant.
The simplest kneel-prone-kneel device is the classic exercise wheel. Shiek et al. in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 306,886 shows a pair of wheels rollably attached to a straight rod used for hand grip. Mattox in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,866 adds elastic tubing to the handles where the knees hold the tubing while the operator is in the push mode to assist in the return mode. A spiral spring is added to the exercise wheel in R.O.C. Pat. 276503 and to a pair of wheels by Barbeau in U. S. Pat. No. 2,821,394.
Semi-recumbent cycles such as Chang in U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,046, Praprotnik in U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,376, Bostic et al. in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 353,422, Dranselka in U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,902 and Jennings in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,583 show simple bicycle cranks to be operated from a seated position with the hip above or about the same level as the crank.
Another group of cycles intended to be ridden from the recumbent position such as Mousel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,464, Dranselka in U. S. Pat. No. 4,739,984, McJunkin, Jr. et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,184, Shibata in U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,050, Kock in U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,737 and Douglas in U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,591 are simple bicycle cranks attached to a bed by different means.
Recently several semi-recumbent cycles such as Stearns et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,197, Maresh in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,707,321 and 5,938,570, Eschenbach in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,855 and Rodgers, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,758 have added elliptical foot movement to a seated semi-recumbent operator.
One of the top 10 abdominal exercises listed by Club Industry Magazine, May, 2000, page 69, lists number 7 as the xe2x80x9cBicyclexe2x80x9d. The article gives the following directions: xe2x80x9clie on back and lift knees to a 90 degree angle from the floor; Bring the right knee in to the left elbow as the left leg extends; Repeat on the other side; Continue to alternate while keeping abdominals contractedxe2x80x9d. Observation of this exercise shows that the feet follow an elongate path instead of a circular bicycle path. The abdominals are exercised because the feet are moved towards the exerciser.
None of the prior art reviewed including samples above address the number 7 exercise with the feet moving along an elongate curve path while recumbent with knees bent above the upper body to drive a flywheel with load resistance. One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a cycle movement for the feet where one foot pulls toward the operator against load resistance along an elongate curve path while the other foot pushes away from the upper body along the elongate path as the leg extends. Another objective of this invention is to provide pull/push apparatus motion which exercises the abdominals, back and leg muscles in a novel manner without back strain.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a pair of foot contacts that can be pulled by the abdominal muscles towards the recumbent operator. Another objective of the present invention is to provide means whereby either the instep or the bottom of the foot can be used by the prone operator to rotate a flywheel. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a heel support while the foot contact follows an elongate path during exercise. Another objective of the present invention is to provide handles for the hands during operation of the exercise apparatus. Another objective of the present invention is to provide an adjustable bench to vary the incline of the back of the operator.
The present invention is intended for a recumbent operator having back downward with knees bent where the feet move along a closed elongate curve path located above the torso of the operator. An adjustable bench is provided to support the back while the hip area is supported by a seat. A framework supports the seat, bench and a crank. The feet are positioned in a pair of foot contacts guided by a linkage to drive a flywheel through the crank, pulleys and a belt. An adjustable load resistance is imposed upon the flywheel.
The foot contacts are configured to allow the abdominal muscles to pull one foot towards a recumbent operator against the load resistance as the knee bends while the other foot pushes away from the operator as the leg extends. The feet alternately pull and push the foot contacts to exercise the leg muscles as well as the abdominals.
In the preferred embodiment, the foot contacts are pedals with foot straps located at one end of a foot engaging member that is pivotally connected to a crank intermediate the ends. The other end of the foot engaging member is pivotally connected to a rocker link which is pivotally connected to an adjustment arm. An actuator is connected to the adjustment arm and framework to allow the rocker pivot to be moved in order to change the motion of the foot contacts.
In an alternate embodiment, the rocker link of the preferred embodiment is replaced with a roller guide that moves in a track. A heel support and instep pad are part of the foot contact located at the end of the foot engaging members.
In another alternate embodiment, the crank is connected to one end of each foot engaging member with a rocker link connected intermediate the ends. Pedals with instep pads are pivotally connected to the other ends of the foot engaging member.
In yet another alternate embodiment, the rocker link of the previous embodiment is replaced with a slider link pivoted connected to the foot engaging member intermediate the ends constrained to move in a track. A bench adjustment means is included. Arm exercise is provided coordinated with the foot engaging member or crank.
Each embodiment includes foot contacts that move along various elongate curves above the recumbent operator that can be changed by a means for adjustment. Either the pedals can be relocated on the foot engaging members or the actuator can be adjusted to change the foot motion. The feet drive a flywheel with a pull/push motion against adjustable load resistance. Handles are provided to accommodate the hands of the operator. In any of the above embodiments, the bench can be adjusted to incline the back for the exercise of different muscles.
In an another alternate embodiment, a stablizer link is added to an elongated foot contact to control the angular movement of the foot contact.
Each of the embodiments shown contains a minimum number of elements that comprise the linkage to guide the foot contacts along a closed elongate curve path. It should be obvious that linkage systems having additional elements can also be used to guide the feet along an elongate path and are considered within the scope of the present invention.
Each of the embodiments provide pull/push apparatus motion which exercises the abdominals, back and leg muscles in a novel manner without back strain.